Calculate the final velocity of the cart and students

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the final velocity of a cart and three Physics 111 AP students using principles of conservation of momentum. Each student, with a mass of 60 kg, jumps off a 120 kg cart at a velocity of 10 m/s relative to the cart. The calculation requires applying the momentum conservation formula iteratively, as the mass of the cart decreases with each jump, affecting the final velocity. The approach involves computing the velocity change after each jump and summing these changes for an accurate final result.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of conservation of momentum in physics
  • Familiarity with basic algebraic manipulation
  • Knowledge of mass and velocity concepts
  • Ability to perform iterative calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the conservation of momentum in variable mass systems
  • Learn about impulse and momentum in physics
  • Explore examples of rocket propulsion and its relation to momentum
  • Practice solving multi-step physics problems involving mass changes
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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding momentum calculations in dynamic systems involving variable mass.

TheShapeOfTime
Three Physics 111 AP students, each having a mass of 60kg, climb onto a large flatbed cart that has a mass of 120 kg. Standing at one end and taking turns they run to the opposite end and jump off, one immediately following the other, each with a velocity of 10 m/s with respect to the cart. Calculate the final velocity of the cart and students with respect to the earth.

I know I need to use [itex]m_1v_1 + m_2v_2 = m_1v_1 + m_2v_2[/itex], and I have done a bunch of simpler problems with no trouble. I'm pretty sure this has to be done in steps but I'm not sure how to incorporate the answer of each step into the next. I have something like this for the first step:

[tex]60 \cdot 0 + 120 \cdot 0 = 60 \cdot 10 + 120(v + 10)[/tex]
 
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Read integral's post.
 
Last edited:
I believe that this problem is a bit more subtle, it is essentially a rocket problem. The mass of the "cart" does not remain constant. As each student jumps it becomes less massive, thus each successive student will cause a larger change in velocity.
after the first student jumps the carts velocity will change by:
[tex]v_c = \frac {m_1 V_1} {m_2 + m_3 + m_c}[/tex]

Repeat for each student and sum the changes to get the total change.
 

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